Top ECOWAS official says regional force will neutralise threats of terrorism, unconstitutional disorders
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission said on Tuesday that the formation of a regional force is designed to tackle not only threats of terrorism but also deal with issues of unconstitutional disorders.
Dr. Omar Touray said at the launch of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre (NCCRM)-Gambia in Banjul that this decision was unanimously endorsed by ECOWAS Heads of State at its last Summit in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said this would go a long way in consolidating peace, stability, and security across the region.
According to him, the decision to form the regional armed force comes on the heels of recalibrating ECOWAS leaders’ approach to regional peace and stability.
Dr. Touray said that the resolution of the regional ECOWAS leaders designs new ways of tapping resources locally instead of depending on external funding to finance peace and security of the region.
He said that the Commission has been tasked with raising funds for this project as a means of moving away from voluntary funding that has not been paying adequate results.
"History of our voluntary participation is not a happy one. If you look at the African Union Peace Fund, Africa's contribution has never gone beyond 30 percent. From 2002 all the way to now, it is the same thing with the ECOWAS Peace Fund, so the leaders have now demonstrated their resolve to ensure they contribute to their own peace and stability," Dr. Touray said.
"It is no more business as usual, the Chiefs of Staff met two weeks ago in Bissau just to see how to operationalise this decision of the Heads of State."
Speaking on the importance of the Gambia's National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre (NCCRM), the ECOWAS Commission President said that it would be an important tool for supporting the authorities in addressing critical human security issues.
It will be connected to the regional situation room as well as a mechanism that will be connected to other regional member states for joint analysis of regional threats and cross-border issues.
Dr. Touray said that last September staff of NCCRM were trained by the early warning directorate on the concept, mandate, scope, vision, and tools of early warning and response mechanisms.
He said that ECOWAS would contribute to enhancing their capacities in line with the memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the national office.
Babucarr Joof, Gambia's Minister of Trade of The Gambia responsible for ECOWAS matters, stated that the purpose of creating National Early Warming Centres was to improve the early warning capacities of member states which would allow them to proactively identify emerging crises and improve their response mechanism once the crisis began.
Through these centres, ECOWAS member states can share information, implement conflict prevention and manage the crisis while protecting human security at regional and national levels.
"The early warning and response programmes will address numerous threats that ECOWAS member states usually face in areas such as crime, security, governance, and environment. Maintaining peace and security in the Gambia and in the sub-region has always been the Gambia Government's number one priority and among the four key criteria of the Commission to enhance peace and security," Joof said.
-0- PANA MSS/MA 28Dec2022
